


Stranger Than Fiction

by lunarknightz



Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Lois Lane grew up in Smallville
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-25
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-17 08:23:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8137141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarknightz/pseuds/lunarknightz
Summary: Chloe comes to Smallville to invesitgate the death of her cousin, Lois Lane. Things in Smallville are way weirder than she ever would have expected.  Alternate version of "Crusade"





	

“Please.” Chloe sighed into the phone. “There’s absolutely no way on Earth that it can be so hard to find a farm. The subway is color coded, and I can Google around and find my way from wherever in the hell I am from my cell phone. But out here in the boondocks, you don’t have the capabilities for that. So just help me find this farm, and I promise you I will be on to big and better things than Smallville.” She smiled with satisfaction when the operator finally gave in and offered to look up address of her destination. “K-E-N-T.” She spelled. “Kent. Yes, I’ll hold.” She rolled her eyes as elevator music began to sound over her cell phone. “Honestly, I think Elmo on Sesame Street could do this.”

Lightning struck to the right of the road, way too close for Chloe’s comfort. “I’ll never understand why Uncle Sam moved out here to the boonies. It’s like Twister meets Children of the Corn.”

Another strike of lightning hit the ground, this time to the left of her red VW Bug. Chloe’s phone went dead.

“That’s just great.” She sighed. “They probably don’t have a T-Mobile store out here either.” She tossed her phone into the empty passenger seat. 

She screamed as a bolt of lightning hit the road directly in front of her. She swerved, momentarily losing control as the Bug skidded off into a cornfield. She skidded through several rows of corn, which made her feel as if she’s trapped in a scene from the X-files movie. Finally, she’s able to grab the wheel and stomp on the brake, and gain control of her car. 

“Whew.” Chloe leaned back into her seat. “No ride at Six Flags could measure up to that one. Honestly, Buggy Boo, let’s never do that again.” She sighed and patted the steering wheel gently. “If you don’t need any repairs, I swear I’ll love you forever. As will Dad’s bank account.”

She looked up to see three bolts of lightning shooting out of the sky, converging into one bolt in the middle of the sky, forming a shimmering ball of white energy. The ball hit the ground and enveloped everything in a shimmering white light.

When the light dissipated and Chloe could see again, she stepped from her car, observing the strange new world she has entered. A huge circle of flattened cornstalks surrounds her, with several small fires burning around her. Orange arcs of energy arced from fire to fire, almost forming some strange forms of patterns. 

“There’s no way that Khan will ever believe this.” She said, her jaw dropping open. “Why didn’t I bring my camera?”

Chloe turned to see a figure in the center of the crop circle.

She walked toward it, and her reporter’s instinct took over. 

The figure was a man, a well developed male Adonis. A well developed well developed male Adonis.

“If Ashton is anywhere around here, I’m seriously going to kick some ass.” She muttered. 

The figure stood up, a movement which gave Chloe a great view of its’ ass.

“Are you okay?” She called, not knowing what else to say.

“I am fine.” The voice sounded wooden, almost mechanical.

That didn’t go so well. She tried a new tactic. “What’s your name?”

“I don’t know.” He responded in the same empty tone.

“Fine? How in the hell can you be fine? You’re naked as the day God made you, You’ve just been hit by lightning, and you have no idea who you are. That’s a pretty whacked out definition of fine.”

He turned around, giving Chloe a full frontal view.

Blood rushed to Chloe’s face, though she tried not to blush. “Look at his face…Look at his face.” She muttered to herself. It would have been easier if he wasn’t…well endowed.

He stands, blankly and stares at her. Obviously the stranger was an exhibitionist, or under extreme and heavy trauma. It had to be the trauma, right? Just her luck, she would find a naked exhibitionist porn star or something of the sort, in a cornfield, when she was really here to find out what had happened to Lois. 

Chloe had a reason to be here; she needed to get back to it. But she couldn’t just leave him here, in case he really was somebody other than Not-Ugly-At-All Naked Guy. She could take him to the hospital, and drop him off, and then she could get back to investigating.

“I have a blanket in the trunk. Don’t move. I’ll be right back.” She started to walk away.

“Wait.” He called. “Who are you?”

She turned halfway around. “Chloe. Chloe Sullivan.”

 

***

 

“It’s okay.” She said and placed her hand on his arm gently, an action which served to steer him out of the elevator at Smallville Medical Center.

Chloe guided him towards the receptionist’s desk.

“This place is weird. Why are we here?”

“Oh, you pick now to become Mr. Chatty, huh?” She sighed. “We’re going to get you checked out and figure out what’s wrong with your brain.”

“I am fine.”

“And I’ll believe that as soon as the nice man with the medical degree tells me that, okay? Right now, I need pain killers.” She sighed. “And maybe anti-hallucinatory drugs while I’m at it. See, here we are.” Chloe said when she reached the desk.

“Excuse me, M’am? I’ve got a guy here who needs attention, STAT.”

The woman looked up at her, and placed a clipboard full of paper in front of Chloe. “Fill out these admission forms and include your proof of insurance.”

Chloe’s eyes grew wide. “That’s the problem. I found this guy wandering by the side of the road, and frankly, I have no idea who in the hell he is. And neither does he. He’s got amnesia. And I brought him here so you can help him and stuff. You can keep the blanket, because frankly, I’ve got places to be, and…well, bye and thanks.” Chloe started to walk away.

“Hold up there.” The woman called out. She came out from behind the desk and confronted Chloe. “Does this look like an animal shelter to you, sweetie? That boy is your responsibility. You have to stay with him until we find someone who can I.D. him. It’s hospital policy.”

“You have got to be kidding me.” Chloe groaned. “Did the good Samaritan gget punished for doing a good deed? I can’t be responsible for him!” 

“You already are. I have to call a deputy and get him to take your statement.”

“Oy.” Chloe gave in. “Fine. Whatever.” She shrugged. “This whole trip has been nothing but a disaster, why not add one more log to the fire?”

The stranger let go of the blanket Chloe had wrapped him up in, and he was now giving everyone in the waiting room a free show. An elderly woman was particularly enthused.

Chloe turned towards the woman. “Think you can help me get him some clothes? I don’t think anything in my suitcase will fit him.” She smiled sweetly.

 

***

 

Chloe dug through her purse, searching in vain for a box of mints. 

The naked stranger has been clothed in scrubs. He sat on the examination bed, staring at her. She started to talk several times, but each time she has stopped herself, unsure of exactly what to stay.

He stood up and walked towards the door.

“Whoa. Red Light.” Chloe stood up and put a hand on his chest to stop him. “We need to stay in the room.”

“I’m not supposed to be here.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “That makes two of us, buddy boy.” She pushed him back to the bed and forced him to stay. “Stay, okay?” Chloe walked back over to her chair and sat back down. This time, as she rooted through her bag, she talked to the stranger. “I came to Smallville with a purpose, you know? My cousin died, and I came to find out what really happened. I’ve got to know what happened. Her name is Lois Lane. Heard of her?”

He gazed at her blankly.

“Of course you haven’t. I mean…AHA! We have success!” Chloe retrieved the tin she’d been searching for from the depths of her purse. 

The stranger looked at them curiously, the look on his face reminding Chloe of a puppy dog.

“They’re espresso mints. Mints laced with caffeine. It’s like my crack. I live, breathe, and eat coffee all the time. Honestly. My Dad even says that if I gave a blood transfusion, the only place it would be useful at is Starbucks.” Chloe paced around the bed.

“You talk a lot.” 

She shrugged. “It’s better than an uncomfortable silence, don’t you think? Plus, it’s not like you can share your life story or anything with me.”

Chloe glanced down at her watch. “Over forty five minutes and no freaking doctor? It’s a miracle people are still alive at all if this is indicatory about small town medicine. Honestly, the Planet should do a feature on this.”

The stranger stood up and started to walk again, and Chloe maneuvered until she stood in his way.

“Whoa. Where do you think you’re going? We’ve been over this before. Stay. It’s a command so simple even a Collie can get it.”

“I’m leaving.”

Chloe crossed her arms in front of her, an air of confidence invaded her voice. “Well, you’re gonna have to go through me first.”

She squealed as the stranger grabbed her by the shoulder and lifted her easily, placing her down gently outside the door. Chloe was startled, but a slight grin grew on her face. 

The stranger left the room. Chloe followed.

“Hey, you. You can’t get rid of me that easily!”

An older woman with auburn hair had started to follow them. “Clark! Clark! Wait, Clark! Clark!” She called.

Chloe was finally able to stop Clark, to corral him to a stop. “Okay. Enough with the Night of the Living Dead Impression, okay? Who was that woman?”

The woman catches up with them, and she grabbed the stranger by the shoulder, a move that forced him to turn around and look her in the face. “It is you!” She threw her arms around the stranger. “Oh, God! I thought I’d lost you forever.”

The stranger does not know her. “Who are you?”

She is startled at his response. “It’s me, Mom.” 

His expression does not change.

Chloe turns to the woman. “I wouldn’t take it personally. He doesn’t even know who he is.” She stuck out her hand and shook the other woman’s hand. “Chloe Sullivan. I found him lying in a field near Route 31.”

The woman nods. “Thank you for helping him.”

“Well, you know, I brake for stray dogs and naked guys.”

The woman shot her a confused look.

Chloe blushed. “I’m sorry. It’s been like an extremely long night, and I haven’t had my caffeine. And honestly, nobody, like, likes me without my caffeine.”  
The woman turns to her son, who Chloe figured must be named Clark. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you home.”

“I’m waiting for the sign.” He insisted.

“He really does need to be looked at, I think.” Chloe said gently. “I think the lightning did a number on his brain.”

The woman turned towards him. “Chloe…I’m so grateful, but I’m afraid this is a family matter.”

Chloe could take a hint. “Right. Glad I could help. Good Wishes and Mazel Tov, and stuff like that.” She walked away, back to the receptionist’s desk. She wanted to gloat, to let the woman know that Chloe had been responsible for reuniting that guy with his family, without anyone else’s help. 

“Yes?” The receptionist said, looking up from her desk. “I told you, you can’t leave until the sheriff comes.”

“I found someone else to take care of him. His mother. I found his mother. It was a touching reunion worthy of a sappy reality TV show. She had auburn hair, and she said amnesia boy’s name was Clark, if that helps at all. I didn’t catch her name, though.”

“Oh, that was Martha Kent. She’s in here all the time.”

The name took a minute to register in Chloe’s mind. Kent. Clark Kent. The strangers name was Clark Kent. She’d found the people she was looking for- and lost them.

Chloe puts her head down on the desk. 

Some days, there is no such thing as luck. Today had been one of those days.

 

***

 

She knocked on the door gently. Gazing up at the white trim that surrounded the door. Martha came to the door after a few moments. She looked surprised to see Chloe standing there.

“Hi.” Chloe said. It was a weird opening, but it was the only one she could think of. “I tried calling earlier.” She elaborated. “But I kept getting a busy signal. I don’t know how you survive without call waiting.”

Martha nodded. “Would you like to come in?”

Chloe nodded and stepped inside. “You have a very lovely home. Is Clark home?”

“He’s upstairs.”

“Great.” Chloe smiled. “Do you think I could talk with him?” 

Martha shook her head, and Chloe’s hopes sunk. “He’s sleeping.”

“Chloe, I really appreciate everything you did for Clark, and I don’t mean to be rude but…”

“What am I doing here?” Chloe shook her head. “I didn’t come here fishing for thanks. I came because I thought Clark might know something about my cousin Lois’ death.”

Understanding flowed over Martha’s face. “You’re Lois’ cousin? I’m so sorry for your loss.” 

“Were…were she and Clark ever an item, or anything?”

Martha snorted. “ At times they were barely friends. There was never anything romantic between them.”

“So Lois hadn’t changed that much. That’s good to know.” 

Martha chuckled. “Trust me, that can happen to the best of us.”

Chloe shrugged. “I’ve always been more into nerds with glasses.”

“Clark has many sides.”

“And I think I’ve seen too many of them already.” Chloe said with a sigh. “Do you think he’ll be up anytime soon?”

“I…I doubt it.”

“It’s just, right now Clark is my only hope to get justice for Lois. The FBI inquest closed last week. They ruled the explosion an accident. And really, how many gas leaks do you know of in safe houses?”

Martha is silent, her face lined with shock.

Chloe’s voice grew softer. “In two weeks, Lionel Luthor is going to walk free. And Lois’ death will have been for nothing. So if Clark wakes up and remembers anything, would you have him call me?” Chloe handed her a piece of Daily Planet stationery with her cell phone number.

“I sure will.” Martha said warmly. 

Chloe started to walk out the door. “One of Lois’ old journals said that you used to work for Lionel. I’m trying to get in to see him, but he keeps refusing to see me. Any advice on how I might?”

“Stay away from Lionel, Chloe.” Martha said softly. “You don’t want to get pulled into his web.”

“How did you escape unscathed?”

“I didn’t.”

Chloe gazed at Martha blankly, not knowing what to say. “Goodbye, Mrs. Kent.”

“Goodbye, Chloe.” Martha replied gently.

 

***

 

“You’re not Martha Kent.” Lionel said, seeing Chloe in the reflection of the hand mirror he has in his hands. He does not turn around. 

“Would you have seen me if they said it was Chloe Sullivan?” She countered.

“Chloe Sullivan. Yes.” He mutters. “You’re Lois Lane’s cousin.”

Chloe came closer to the cell, putting her hands on the metal. She would not be intimidated.

“It’s quite a loss, your cousin.” He reached out and touched one of Chloe’s fingers, and gazed down at it. “You bite your nails. Nasty habit. But getting through the doors doesn’t mean I’ll talk to you.” He turned towards the guard. “Guard?” He walked back toward his bed and sat down, put on his glasses, and picked up a book.

“I don’t believe that the safe house explosion was an accident.”

“Of course you don’t. You think I’m responsible.”

Chloe shook her head. “No. Frankly, a stunt like that is below you. It’s thuggish and obvious. It smacks of desperation. And unless your reputation betrays you, that is all the things you aren’t.

He took off his glasses and turned towards her. “All right, Miss Sullivan. You have my attention. What’s your theory?”

She smiled at him. “I don’t have one.”

He chuckled. “Then why are you here?”

Chloe’s face grew serious. “Because I wanted to look into the face of the son of a bitch who’s responsible for my cousin’s death.” Lionel turned away at her words. “You may not have blown her up, but you’re the reason she’s gone.”

“You could hardly anoint her for sainthood. Get your facts straight, Miss Sullivan. I made your cousin a bargain. She took it. I kept my end of the deal, she didn’t. She got in over her head and is dead as a result of her own actions. I had nothing to do with it. The next time you come at me with accusations, try and have a little more substance than righteous indignation. And I believe.” He said as he turned back to his book “Zoo hours are over for the day. Goodbye, Miss Sullivan.”

Chloe strode towards the door, but stopped before she reached it. She turned back towards him. “It must be driving you nuts, isn’t it? Knowing that somebody gave you this gift. You don’t know who, and you don’t know why, but without Lois to testify against your sorry ass, you’re probably going to walk out of here a free man. Or who knows, maybe you’re just being set up.”

She turned and walked towards the door. 

This time she did not turn back.

 

****

 

Chloe knelt in front of Lois’ grave. She traced the letters gently. _Lois Lane, 1986-2004. Beloved Daughter._ Chloe placed a small bunch of colorful flowers in front of the stone. She knelt down and talked to the tombstone, as if she was talking to her cousin.

“I haven’t been here since the funeral. And everything was so weird then, I couldn’t even remember how to get here, and I don’t have MapQuest in my car.”

Chloe started to cry. She fought to hold back the tears. “It seems more real now, you know? I promise I’ll find out who did this to you, Lois. Even if I have to do this alone.

“You’re not alone.” Chloe turned to see Clark standing there, a bunch of flowers in his hand.

“And that’s five years off my life I’ll never get back.” Chloe sighed. “Next time, let me know you’re here before you’re breathing down my neck?”

“I’m sorry, Chloe. I didn’t know you were out here.”

She took a deep breath and stood up, and looked him up and down. “I’m glad to see that we’ve moved beyond the clothing optional stage of our relationship. Hell, I’m even surprised you remember who I am.”

“You’re Lois’ cousin.” He said softly “Loves caffeine. Gives blood to Starbucks.”

“So you’re fully functional again, huh?”

“I can’t explain my actions over the past few days. But Lois was my friend. A good friend. You aren’t the only one who misses her.” He gazed down at the tombstone sadly.

“I’m just the only one doing something about it.”

“I get the feeling you like to do things by yourself.”

“I’m an only child raised in the big city. I’m independent and self-sufficient.”

“That’s one way to put it.”

Chloe sighed. “I’ve had blind dates that were less awkward than talking to you.”

Clark turned towards her. “Look, why don’t we team up to figure out who did this to Lois? You can even stay at my house while you’re in town. I mean, it’s not the Taj Mahal, but it’s gotta beat living out of your car.”

She shrugged. “Bugs weren’t exactly made to be makeshift motels. Are you sure your parents won’t mind?”

“My mom suggested it.” 

“Well, um….good.” Chloe said, crossing her arms. “I think I’ll give the two of you a moment alone.”

Chloe was almost to her car when she hears Clark’s voice ring out. “Chloe!” He exclaimed. “Lois is still alive!”

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted November 2005.


End file.
